Spraying device for fibrous material



May 25, 1948. J. KEMPTHORNE SPRAYING DEVICE FOR FIBRQUS MATERIAL Filed June 30, 1945' 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. J me; Z, K'empflazwe IIIIIMIIIIINIXIIIHIIIN;

ATTORNEY May 25, 1948. .1. L. KEMPTHORNE 2,442,206

SPRAYING DEVICE FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL 7 Filed June 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllilllum BY M A TTORNEY Patented May 25, 1948 UNlTED STATES PATENT forele James L. Kempthorne, Montclair, N. J. Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,547

1Claim.

' This invention relates to spraying devices such as are used, for example, in the spraying of asbestos and other fibrous and similar materials onto ceilings and other surfaces or objects.

It is common in the art to provide a device having means for receiving the fibrous material and for projecting said material onto the surface to be coated. It is also common in the art to provide a discharge .nozzle for the apparatus through which the material passes and to provide means for mixing the materials with a second material such as water, adhesive, or the like.

The inherent disadvantages in the structures of the prior' art and in the structures commercially used for the purpose set forth above are many and varied. Among the more serious objections is the fact that such structures are usually of considerable weight and are so bulky that they cannot be used in many situations, such as for work in the interior of ships or other confined quarters. In some cases it hasbeen necessary to actually tear down parts of ships or buildings device of my invention, which consists of a spraying device having complementary units which are manually portable, are extremely light in weight and may be set up for operation and moved from place to place in a minimum of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide by means of a brush which is so juxtaposed relative to a shouldered edge plate that the material 'fed to the brush is picked up thereby and, in a flipping motion of the brush, projected into the intake port of an exhaust blower.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manually portable exhaust blower and discharge unit which is extremely light in weight against the discharge aperture of the chamber unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supplementary hopper unit which is likewise manually portable and is adapted to be positioned inoperative relation with the chamber unit and may be conveniently displaced therefrom.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly shown in the drawings, illustrating embodiments of my invention, and in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a spraying apparatus embodying my invention, taken along approximately the line l--l of Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view, partly in section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of parts of the chamber unit correspondingly numbered in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. l, g

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the supple mentary hopper unit alone, taken on line 6-8 of g.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blower unit and chamber unit ofmy invention,

Fig. 8 15 an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on line 9-4 of Fig. 1, showing the disposition of the fiumng spokes or blades 3.! along the fan axle.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus of my invention comprises a manuallyportable chamber unit l0 open at the top (see Fig. l) for the depositing of the fibrous or other material thereinto. Said chamber-unit is provided with spaced arallel side walls II and I2 connected by a front wall l3 and rear wall ll, all of said walls being fixed at their lower edges to a base member 18. The chute plate I5 is fixed intermediate the walls ll-ll, in a generally angular direction from the cross member it of the frame ll at one end and fixed to front wall l3 adjacent said base it at a position adjacent the discharge aperture 33 in the front wall I3 of the chamber unit at the other end. The lower end of the chute plate I5 is provided with a shouldered edge plate is fixed to a bar 20, the latter being adjustably secured to the front wall 13 by means which will permit of the and may be readily placed in operative position as limited vertical positioning of said bar (and the attached shouldered edge plate l9) relative to base I8. Any suitable interengag-ing elements may be used for that purpose; for example, bolts 2| may be fixed to the bar 20 to project through vertical slots 22 in the front wall l3 of the chamber ID, with nut members 23 threadedly engaging said bolts and the front wall l3.

A brush member 24 is rotatably journalled in the chamber unit l adjacent the lower end of chute l5, said brush being so juxtaposed relative to the shouldered edge plate I9 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5) that the shouldered edge plate I9 will project into the circumference of the brush to a slight degree. Thus, on the rotation of the brush responsive to any suitable rotating means 21, the brush will lip over the shouldered edge plate l9, causing the brush bristles to momentarily slide upon said plate and then, in a snapping movement, to flex over and past the top of the shouldered edge plate I'9. By this action, the material which has been fed to the brush in chamber l0 and has been taken up by the brush bristles, will be projected from the brush beyond the shouldered edge plate [9.

Shouldered edge plate l9 may be formed integral with the chute plate l5, as shown in the drawings, or may be formed as a separate member if so desired. It may, as shown in Fig. 5, be urged on to the base-l8 under spring tension, while providing for limited vertical movement to prevent damage to the parts due to unusual conditions encountered in operation. The spring tension means shown consists in afiixing an internally threaded boss 15 to the base l8 and aming an apertured member 16 to the bar 20 to which the shouldered edge plate I9 is fixed. Bar 29 in the form. shown in Fig. 5 is aligned with the outer surfa'ce'of the front wall l3 and projects through an opening therein instead of slidably abutting the inner surface thereof as in the form shown in Fig. 3. A bolt 11 freely passes through member 16 and threadedly engages the boss 15. A spring 18 is positioned on bolt 11 intermediate the head of the bolt and the member 16.

The chamber unit l0 may be provided with handles l0 (see Fig. 2) of any desired configuration, to facilitate the manual transportation and movement of said chamber unit. A flumng fan 29 is rotatably journalled in the chamber unit I III above the brush 24 and adjacent the chute l 5 and approximately intermediate the length of i the latter. The axle-30 of said flufling fan 29 is rotatably journalled in the side walls of the cham-' j ber unit. 1 of the fan 29,said blades being preferably rela- Blades 28 are mounted on spokes 3| tively long and wide and of hollow cross section 1 to enable them to be adjustably positioned on the spokes 3| of said fan, by bolt and nut members 32 or other suitable means for clamping them on the spokes and to permit of the fixing of the position of said blades on axes perpendicular to the 1 longitudinal axes of said spokes. The latter are preferably of circular cross section and of relatively small diameter.

In the use of the device for feeding fibrous materials such as asbestos to the brush 24, it is preferable to utilize a pair or more of sets ofspokes and attached blades fixed to the hub 29 of the fan,

with the sets of spokes aligned or disaligned asdesired. The hub of the fan may further be provided with fiat plates fixed thereto and projecting therefrom between the sets of the spokes for the purpose set forth, namely, to fluff the material positioned in the chamber unit through the open top thereof.

facilitate operation of the device.

The front wall I3 01 the chamber is provided with a discharge aperture 33 aligned with the shouldered edge plate l9 and continued thereabove for a distance sufficient to provide a clear trajectory for the material which is projected from the brush 24 when the latter contacts the shouldered edge plate l9 as above set forth.

The chamber It! may have any suitable motor means 34 for driving the brush 24 and the fan 29, said motor being fixed to the base l8, so that the chamber [0 and associated parts on the base 18 will be a self-sufflcient, portable unit. To this end, the chamber [0 and its base l8 may be provided with the usual power transfer means, name-'- ly, pulleys, belts, chains and gear devices entrained with the motor 34, the brush 24 and fan 29. In the form shown in the drawings, said power transfer means comprises a pulley 35 on the motor shaft, a pulley 31, a belt 39 entrained over said pulleys, the pulley 3'! being fixed to shaft 39 of the speed change device 35. Shaft 39 has a second pulley 40 fixed thereto, driving the pulley 4| which rotates the brush shaft 25 through, the medium of belt 42. A sprocket 43 driven from the motor 34 through the speed change device 35 drives the sprocket 44 (keyed to axle 30 of the fan 29) by means of chain 45.

The device may be provided with an electrical unit 48 suitably connected to motor 34 to provide for electrical connection of the motor to a source of current, with switch; fuse," and light means to shown in Fig. 2, said unit 46 comprises an electric plug 41 for convenient connection with a source.

of electric current, a fuse 48, switch 49 and elec-v tric bulb 59 connected to the unit 49 at 5|. The v apparatus described above is portable, compact and self-sufficient. Its weight and size are but a fraction of the weight and size of standard devices in commercial use for doing the same work. It may be readily transported to the place where the work is to be done and is admirably adapted for repair Work and small jobs where use of the In the form conventional mechanisms would be impractical and much more costly.

Operation of chamber unit 10 material to be used is deposited into the chamber I0 through the open upper end thereof. The material is flufied down the chute plate I5 and tothe brush 24 by the blades 28 of the fan 29. The rotating brush contacts the shouldered edge plate l9 and projects the material throughthe aperture 33 in the front wall I3 of chamber unit "I. From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel means for metering the material through the unit I!) and for opening the fibers of said material, which is of distinct advantage in the application of asbestos and similar fibrous materials. I preferably provide a rapid means for regulating the speed of rotation of brush 24 and sure and which may be moved apart responsive to opposing force or pressure exerted thereon by belt 38. The motor has lugs 52 dependlngthererecessed p therewith.

from which slidably receive rails on which the motor may be slid, and has an internally threaded plate 53 depending therefrom for threadedly receiving the threaded shaft 54 joumalled in bear- .ings 55 on base I8. By rotating the handwheel 58 keyed to the shaft 54, the motor 34 may be reciprocated relative to the shaft 39 of pulley 31,

thus varying the tension of belt 38 on pulley 38 and correspondinglyvarying the spacing of the halves of said pulley, and, thereby, their eflective I diameter for the purpose described.

The chamber unit l8 and associated parts above referred to are well adapted for use in spraying fibrous materials onto ceilings and other surfaces.

Blower unit 57 -is also manually portable and self-sufllcient. It

has a base 58 on which is mounted the motor 59 and the casing 58 containing a suction fan driven by the motor 59. Thecasing 58 is provided with inlet and outlet ports 5| and 52 respectively. In operation, blower unit 51 is positioned against the unit I8 as shown in Fig. 7 with the free end 53 of the blower inlet port 5| abutting the-opening 33 of unit l8. The size of opening 33 may be varied by any suitable means to suit conditions of use. For example, the front wall I3 may have doors 54, 55 slidably arranged in channeled members 88 and horizontally aligned with the opening 33 which is disposed intermediate said doors. The width of said aperture 33 or the eflective size thereof may thus be reduced or regulated by sliding said doors toward or away from each other. The doors are preferably provided with handles 51 to facilitate movement thereof. The end 53 of the inlet port 5| of the blower is recessed as at 88, to provide an ample supply of air with the materialsdrawn into the inlet port from the aperture 33 and into the casing 58, and thence discharged through the pipe 12.

The recess 58 may be closed to the desired degree by any suitable means, as by collar 59 slidably disposed on the port 8| and slidable over the tion 58 thereof. The collar is preferably prov ded with free ends 59' having bolt or other means 18 to clamp the collar on the port 5 I. The blower unit 51 is also manually portable and may have handles 51.

The free end 1| of the discharge pipe 12 may be in the form of a nozzle with connections 13, 14 of any desired or convenient type for mixing the material passing from the outlet port 52 with adhesives, water or other material. Such material may be mixed within the chamber l8 if sodesired. The particular form of nozzle and associated parts 13, 14 used in connection with my invention is not an essential part of the invention. Any of the many forms available commercially and known in the art may be used in connection Hopper unit 80 The chamber unit l8 may be provided with means for automatically feeding material thereto. In the drawings I have shown a hopper unit 88 for that purpose, comprising a member open at the top and having an endless belt 8| at the bottom thereof to carry the material deposited into said hopper to the forward end 82 thereof for discharge through the aperture 83 (said aperture being in alignment with belt 8|) and into the chamber l8. The e ess belt 8| may be of any desired material cad construction and is entrained over the roll s 84, one of which is rotated by the sprocket keyed to the shaft 88 of the roller, said sprocket having chain 81 inmesh therewith, and with the sprocket 88 of the fan shaft 29, which in turn is driven by chain 45 as above described. The hopper discharge aperture 83 may be partly or wholly closed by the door 89 which may have frictional sliding engagement with channels 98 fixed to the hopper 88. The hopper 88 is likewise manually portable,

is provided with leg members 9| hinged thereto as at 92 adapted to be folded under the hopper proper when the latter is not in use, and is further provided with lugs 93 depending from said hopper, said lugs being adapted to be engaged by complementary latching means, such as bolts 94 carried by the hopper I8, to removably secure the hopper to the chamber unit l8. It will thus be seen that the hopper 88 is removably secured to the chamber unit i8, with the discharge opening 83 of the hopper disposed in alignment with the open upper end of the chamber l8.

In operation, the hopper 88 is'illled with the material to be sprayed which is metered by the belt 8| into the chamber l8 where the fan 29 flufis the material. The latter passes down the chute I5, is picked up by the brush 24 which rotates against the shouldered edge plate l9, whereby the material is ejected into the blower 51 and thence onto the surface or other object to be coated. The side walls 95 of the hopper unit are preferably inwardly and downwardly tapered (see Fig. 6) so as to guide the material onto the belt 8|. To remove the hopper from the chamber unit l8, the bolts 94 are loosened and the sprocket 85 may be laterally displaced from the shaft 85 of the roller. This end may be attained by providing the sprocket and shaft with complementary interlocking, means, such as key and keyway to normally key them together while permitting of their manual disengagement when desired, and means, such as a cotter pin, bolt or the like, to preclude accidental displacement thereof. Or if desired, the chain 81 may be removed from the sprocket 85 for the same purpose.

The various shafts shown may be provided with suitable anti-friction bearings such as ball or roller hearings or the like.

The parts described may be made of any suitable material. It is to be understood that the dimensions of the parts, except where otherwise noted, may be varied and their relative proportions changed to suit the requirements of the user, within the scope of this invention. The drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the invention for the sake of illustration only; it will be understood that all variations thereof within the terms of the appended claim shall be deemed to come within the scope and purview of this invention.

The blower unit 51 may be provided with suitable switch means for motor 59 synchronized with or independent of the switch unit 49 for the motor 34 of chamber unit I8. The discharge pipe 12 and associated connections 13 and 14 may be provided with nozzle and control means of any desired or convenient form.

- The front wall l3 of chamber |8 may be provided with a door 95 vertically slidable in channels 91, said door being adapted to close an aperture in the front wall l3 adjacent the brush 24 for repair or replacement of the brush, in Fig. 7. V J

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a spraying device, a chamber unit provided with substantially vertically disposed side walls as shown 8 adapted to receive material to be sprayed and flufling the said material, a rotatable brush hav- I ing radially disposed bristles mounted on an axis parallel to the discharge opening and in front of the said discharge opening and above the bottom portion or the curved chute plate at' a sufllcient distance so that the bristles or the brush make a wiping contact with the plate, the bottom edge of the plate adjacent to the discharge opening being upturned in advance of the opening to form a lip in engagement with the brush, whereby upon rotation of the brush the bristles thereof pick up material from the plate and contact the lip for projecting the material through the dish e opening.

JAMES L. KEIWPTHORNE.

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